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FN-P90
|number= |variants= See Variants: P90 P90 TR P90 USG P90 LV/LIR PS90 |spec_label= |weight= empty empty magazine loaded magazine |length= |part_length= |width= |height= |cartridge= 5.7x28mm |action= Straight blowback, closed bolt |rate= 900 rounds/min |velocity= 850 m/s (2,800 ft/s) (SS90) 715 m/s (2,350 ft/s) (SS190) |range= 200 m (655 ft) |max_range= 1800 m (5905 ft) |feed= 50-round detachable box magazine |sights= Tritium-illuminated reflex sight, back-up iron sights }} The FN P90 is a personal defense weapon (PDW) designed by Belgian firearms manufacturer FN Herstal in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The weapon's name is an abbreviation of Project 9.0, which specifies a weapon system of the 1990s. The P90 was originally designed as a compact but powerful firearm for vehicle drivers, operators of crew-served weapons, support personnel, special forces and anti-terrorist units.Miller, David (2001). The Illustrated Directory of 20th Century Guns. Salamander Books Ltd. ISBN 1-84065-245-4. The P90 features a compact bullpup design, ambidextrous grip and a polymer and alloy-based construction. The weapon contains several innovative features including the top-mounted magazine and proprietary 5.7x28mm ammunition, designed for greater penetration of body armor than conventional pistol ammunition. By 2003, 17,000 P90s were in use by military and police forces in over 25 countries worldwide.Gourley, S.; Kemp, I (November 26, 2003). "The Duellists". Jane's Defence Weekly (ISSN: 02653818), Volume 40 Issue 21, pp 26-28.Baddeley, Adam (May 21, 2003). "NATO Delays Personal Weapon Choice". Jane's Defence Weekly - Infantry Equipment (ISSN: 02653818), pp 30. By 2009, the P90 and variants were in use with over 200 law enforcement agencies in the United States. The PS90 sporting model is also becoming popular among civilian shooters. History The P90 was developed by FN between 1986 and 1990 in conjunction with the 5.7x28mm cartridge. FN's goal was to replace the pistol-caliber submachine guns which were in use at the time by military and law enforcement personnel, as it had become evident that such weapons were ineffective against body armor.Marchington, James (2004). The Encyclopedia of Handheld Weapons. Lewis International, Inc. ISBN 1-930983-14-X. Initially the weapon was designed to use a 5.7x28mm cartridge called the SS90. The SS90 propelled a 1.5 g (23 grain) plastic-core projectile from the P90 at a muzzle velocity of roughly 850 m/s (2800 ft/s). The first prototype firing this ammunition was completed in October 1986, and over 3,000 submachine guns were produced in this configuration until 1993 in a low-rate trial production mode."New P90 Round Puts FN on Road to the Next NATO Standard". International Defense Review (Switzerland), Volume 26 Issue 8 (August 01, 1993). Shortly after its introduction the weapon was adopted and used in service with the Belgian special forces group in the 1991 Gulf War.Diez, Octavio (2000). Armament and Technology. Lema Publications, S.L. ISBN 84-8463-013-7. Following the P90's introduction, FN revised the 5.7x28mm ammunition and abandoned the SS90 variation. The new variation, designated the SS190, used a projectile 2.7 mm (0.11 in) shorter in length than that of the SS90. This allowed it to be used more conveniently in the FN Five-seven pistol, which was also being developed at that time. This projectile also had a heavier weight and more conventional construction containing an aluminium core and steel penetrator. A modified version of the P90 with a magazine adapted to use the shortened ammunition was introduced in 1993. Several special cartridge variations were also developed, such as the L191 tracer round and the subsonic SB193 bullet for use with a sound-suppressed P90. Further development of the P90 platform led to the creation of the P90 TR variant, which has a MIL-STD-1913 top rail system. This variant was introduced in 1999 and continues to be offered alongside the standard P90. More recently, the P90 has been offered to civilian shooters in various configurations as the PS90. This is a semi-automatic sporting version with a lengthened barrel. Design details The P90 is a selective fire straight blowback-operated weapon with a short recoiling barrel and fires from a closed bolt.Hogg, Ian (2002). Jane's Guns Recognition Guide. Jane's Information Group. ISBN 0-00-712760-X. The return mechanism consists of two parallel spring guide rods that also guide the bolt carrier assembly. The weapon's 263 mm (10.39 in) hammer-forged steel barrel is fitted with a ported, diagonally cut flash suppressor that also acts as a recoil compensator. The weapon uses an internal hammer striking mechanism and a trigger mechanism with a three-position rotary dial fire control selector, located centrally beneath the trigger. The fire selector also provides a manual safety against accidental firing. The dial in the "S" position – weapon safe, "1" – semi-automatic fire, "A" – fully automatic fire. When set on "A", the selector provides a two-stage trigger operation. Pulling the trigger back slightly produces semi-automatic fire and pulling the trigger fully to the rear will produce fully automatic fire. The "safe" setting disables the trigger. The P90 is fully ambidextrous; it can be operated by right or left-handed shooters with equal ease, and without making any modifications to the weapon. The charging handle, auxiliary fixed sights and magazine release are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the firearm. The manual fire selector below the trigger can be operated from either side. Spent cartridge casings are ejected downward through a chute located aft of the pistol grip, keeping fired cases out of the shooter's line of sight. The P90 is designed in the bullpup configuration which reduces the firearm's overall length while retaining a full-length barrel. The pistol grip with a thumbhole and oversized trigger guard act as the forward grip, and a handstop is incorporated into the weapon's stock to prevent the user from accidentally reaching out in front of the barrel during firing. The P90 is a modular firearm and consists of 69 parts that disassemble into four main groups: the barrel with integrated sight assembly, receiver with return mechanism, stock body with trigger and firing mechanism and the magazine. The P90 makes extensive use of polymers and lightweight alloys to reduce both the weight and the cost of the weapon. Ammunition cartridges as used in the P90 and sporting models.]] Particularly significant to the design of the P90 is the bottlenecked 5.7x28mm cartridge created by FN specifically for use in it. This cartridge weighs 6.0 g (93 grains), roughly half as much as a typical 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge, allowing extra ammunition to be carried more easily. The 5.7x28mm cartridge produces considerable muzzle blast and flash, but it produces roughly 30% less recoil than the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge, improving controllability. It also exhibits a flatter trajectory. One of the design intents of the SS190 variation of this cartridge (not sporting variations) was that it have the ability to penetrate Kevlar protective vests, such as the NATO CRISAT vest, that will stop conventional pistol bullets. The 5.7x28mm SS190 variation is capable of penetrating the CRISAT vest at a range of 200 m (655 ft). It is also capable of penetrating a Level IIIA Kevlar vest at the same range. In testing in 1999 by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the SS190 fired from the P90 at a distance of 25 m (82.02 ft) exhibited an average penetration depth of 25 cm (9.85 in) in ballistic gelatin covered with a Level II vest.Cutshaw, Charlie (May 2006). "FN Herstal's Five-seveN Pistol". Tactical Response. In testing done by Houston Police Department SWAT, the SS190 fired from the P90 typically exhibited between 27.94 to 34.29 cm (11 to 13.5 in) penetration in bare ballistic gelatin. The SS190 and similar 5.7x28mm projectiles have been shown to turn base over point ("tumble") in testing in ballistic gelatin and other media, using the 21.6 mm (.85 in) projectile length to create a larger wound cavity. However, some are skeptical of the bullet's terminal performance, and it is a subject of debate among civilian shooters in the United States. FN states that the P90 has an effective range of 200 m (655 ft) and a maximum range of 1800 m (5905 ft). Since the SS190 projectile does not rely on fragmentation or the expansion of a hollow point, the cartridge and gun are considered suitable for military use under the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907, which prohibit use of expanding or fragmenting bullets in warfare. Feeding The P90 uses a unique horizontally-mounted feeding system that was patented in the United States ( dated March 6, 1990 and expired 2007), naming René Predazzer as the sole inventor. The box magazine is mounted parallel to the bore axis and locks in place between the charging handles and optical sight, flush with the receiver top cover. It has a capacity of 50 rounds and it is clear plastic, so the user can see the amount of ammunition remaining. The base of the magazine is located near the muzzle end, the feed lips above the barrel chamber in a circular bulge that contains the feed tray. Cartridges in the magazine body are double stacked to the left side. The magazine features a follower with rollers and a spiral feed ramp that will rotate a cartridge 90° to the right aligning it in a double stack pattern within the magazine. Sights and accessories The P90 was originally equipped with an unmagnified HC-14-62 reflex sight from Ring Sights, which enabled quick target acquisition up to and operation in low-level lighting conditions thanks to a tritium-illuminated aiming reticle. Newer guns are fitted with the Ring Sights MC-10-80 sight designed specifically for the P90. It uses a forward-aimed fiber optic collector to illuminate the daytime reticle, which consists of a large circle of about 180 Minute of arc (MOA), with a 20 MOA circle surrounding a dot in the center. The night reticle consists of an open "T" that is primarily illuminated by a tritium module or moonlight and ambient light drawn in by an upward-facing collector. The sight is adjustable for both windage and elevation and can be used with night vision equipment. Auxiliary fixed iron sights are provided on both sides of the receiver's cast aluminium optical sight housing. The P90 can also be fitted with a laser aiming module integrated into the stock body beneath the barrel, or various sound suppressors such as the Gemtech SP90. This suppressor has a length of , a diameter of and a weight . When proper ammunition is used, it reduces the sound signature of the weapon by 33 dB.Jones, Richard D. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (January 27, 2009). ISBN 978-0710628695. Variants P90 TR The P90 TR variant was introduced in 1999. It features a receiver-mounted triple MIL-STD-1913 rail interface system or "Triple Rail" (TR). There is one full-length rail on the top of the base and two rail "stumps" on the sides of the receiver. The side rails serve to mount accessories such as laser aiming devices or flashlights, while the integrated top rail will accept various optics with no tools or additional mounting hardware required. P90 USG The P90 USG variant is similar to the standard P90 with the exception of a revised optic system, developed based on input from the United States Secret Service and other government agencies. The aluminium sight uses a non-magnified black reticle that does not require ambient light. empty loaded |length= |part_length= |width= |height= |cartridge= 5.7x28mm |action= |rate= |velocity= 777 m/s (2550 ft/s) (SS195) 640 m/s (2100 ft/s) (SS197) 930 m/s (3050 ft/s) (EA Ultra Raptor) |range= |max_range= |feed= 10, 30, or 50-round detachable box magazine |sights= }} P90 Laserex models (P90 LV, P90 LIR) The P90 LV and P90 LIR models add an integrated visible laser sight or infrared sight respectively. They were introduced in late 1995."Revolution in Slow Motion". International Defense Review (Switzerland), Volume 29 Issue 1, pp 13-14 (January 01, 1996). Both units are manufactured by the Australian company Laserex Technologies. The laser's power switch is a green button located under the trigger grip. The lasers have three internal settings: "off", to prevent accidental activation, "low-intensity", for combat training and extended battery life, and "high-intensity" – for maximum visibility. PS90 sporting models The PS90 is a semi-automatic sporting version designed for the civilian market and introduced in late 2005. It has an extended barrel, an olive drab or black synthetic stock body, and an MC-10-80 reflex sight identical to that used on the standard P90. The MC-10-80 can be removed and replaced with a special top rail in order to use third party optics. The barrel has 8 right-hand grooves, a 1:7 twist, a rifled length of 376 mm and comes with a fixed "birdcage" type flash suppressor. The overall length of the PS90 is . The trigger pull is rated at approximately 7 to 8 lb. The receiver assembly is drilled and tapped to accept accessory Picatinny rails on either side. The front swivel sling mount is not included, and installation requires the barrel shroud to be unpinned and removed. It accepts the standard P90 50-round magazines, but is sold only with a 10 or 30-round magazine depending on local and state regulations. The PS90 weighs empty and with a fully loaded 50-round magazine. The PS90 TR, or Triple Rail, uses a different receiver assembly that is similar to the P90 TR. The standard back-up iron sights are no longer present, and instead, the top of the receiver is machined to form a Picatinny rail. Two plastic side-rails are included for mounting lasers or tactical flashlights. The PS90 TR is also available with either an olive-drab or black polymer stock. Another semi-automatic variant is the PS90 USG, which like the standard P90 USG, replaces the MC-10-80 reflex sight with an unmagnified sight with a black ring aiming reticle. The PS90 USG is also available with either olive-drab or black furniture. Users The P90 first saw operational use in the 1991 Gulf War, with the Belgian special forces group. In 1997, suppressed P90s were used by the Peruvian special forces group (Grupo de Fuerzas Especiales; GRUFE) in the rescue of hostages in the Japanese embassy hostage crisis known as Operation Chavín de Huantar.Wilk, Remigiusz (August 2008). "Personal Defence Weapon" (in Polish). Raport Magazine. By 2003, the P90 was in use by military and police forces in over 25 countries worldwide. Despite being originally intended as a defensive weapon for military personnel such as vehicle drivers, whose primary role is not fighting with small arms, most sales of the P90 have actually been to special forces and counter-terrorist groups who use it for offensive roles. In the United States, Houston Police Department was the first local law enforcement agency to adopt the P90, acquiring it for their SWAT team in 1999. In 2003, the Houston SWAT team also became the first in the country to use the weapon operationally in a shooting. By 2009, the P90 was in use with over 200 law enforcement agencies in the United States, including the US Secret Service and Federal Protective Service. Organizations using the P90 include: during a parade in Larnaca.]] |image3=Indian SPG bodyguard |image4=Luxembourg USP special group |image5=Netherlands marine corps UIM |image6=Peruvian FOES navy group |image7=United States Secret Service }} See also * FN Five-seven * Heckler & Koch MP7 * KAC 6x35mm PDW * Magpul PDR * ST Kinetics CPW * VBR-Belgium PDW References External links * * (FNH USA) *Spring 2003 Experiences with the FN P90 (Tactical Response article) *FN PS90 5.7mm Carbine (Law & Order article) *FNH USA PS90 5.7x28mm (Special Weapons article) *Ring Sights MC-10-80 specifications Video * *Official PS90 promotional video *Video of PS90 disassembly * Category:Bullpup firearms P90 Category:Police weapons Category:Submachine guns